Alyssa was actually getting along rather well with Alfred and Bruce. Over the last week and a half, things had actually been peaceful and quiet for once, something Alyssa could say she'd never experienced in Gotham.
She was still very much running her businesses, but she found herself enjoying the sit down meals and never ending questions from the small billionaire.
Of course, no matter how much he asked, she couldn't tell Bruce everything. But she liked someone taking a positive interest in her work; no one besides the kids she took care of ever had.
"How did you come to start your work?" Bruce asked one day.
Alyssa blinked. "I..."
"Y-you don't have to answer if you don't want to." he said, worried he'd overstepped his boundaries. Alyssa, he was coming to discover, like her daughter had a lot of things she didn't like to talk about.
"No, its fine, I just...I haven't thought about that night in while..." she bit her lip. "I wasn't much older than you actually. I ran away from home. I was scared out of my mind, and ended up running to a friend's house; a place I had never been. But, I knew that he would let me in, and I'd be safe. On the way there though...I saw a lot of kids out in the streets. Lots of them were younger than me, in ratty clothes, messy hair. And, all those kids, in all those streets, I just...I wanted them to have somewhere to go too."
Alyssa was coming around the corner, finally finished with her paperwork, when she saw Alfred in the front room with...oh crap.
"Alfred, is everything alright?" Bruce and Selina had come halfway down the stairs.
"No, master Bruce, this lady's been involved in a car accident."
"Kids, run." Alyssa ordered, her voice somewhat shaky. The woman looked up upon hearing her voice and smirked when she saw her. "Run!"
They both took off back up the stairs, but the woman went after Alyssa. Alyssa was strong, buts he was out of practice when it came to fighting, and had no time to grab the knife she kept in her jacket.
Alfred tried to help her, but the woman had back up. Once they were both down for a while, they went after the kids. Alfred and Alyssa weren't about to let that happen, and were quick to follow him.
Alyssa was so consumed with worry that she couldn't think clearly, which was probably why she ended up with a bullet in her leg.
"Local PD's searching the woods, but so far no sign of Bruce, or Selina." Jim reported while Alyssa was glaring at the poor man trying to patch her up. "What can you tell me about this woman?"
He'd asked Alfred, but it was Alyssa who answered. "Her name's Tabitha Galavan. She's her older brother Theo's muscle. Anything she does is nearly always under his orders, but he does like to lend her for hire."
"You sound like you know them well."
"No need to sound so suspicious boy scout; they aren't friends." she shoved the doctor away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got things to do."
"Look, we've got fifty police in the woods, even more on the roads, we need to focus on this woman and her people; what can you tell me about her?" Jim insisted.
"They were trained killers." Alfred spoke up. "And Ms. Connors and her bloody little girl brought them here."
"We don't know that yet."
"Its alright boy scout, he's right." Alyssa informed. "Live in this city long enough, you're bound to make a few enemies. But don't worry Jeeves, Selina can keep your boy safe."
"Jim!" a new voice made all three of them turn. Harvey Bullock walked up. "You must be Alfred Pennyworth. Nice job out there."
"Yeah well, not nice enough aye?"
"This was taken off the dead guy." Harvey held up a mug shot of Selina. to Jim. "Nothin' else, no keys, no ID, nada. Now I know this girl; and I know Alyssa'll kill you real slowly if she died. But what I don't know is what either pain in mine neck is doin' at Wayne freakin' Manor! What the hell's goin' on compadre?"
"Oh you hadn't told him?" Alyssa said sarcastically.
"Told me what?!"
Jim sighed. "Selina Kyle was in the alley, the night the Wayne's were murdered. She saw the killer's face."
"For pete's sake, don't do this to me." Harvey shook his head.
"Harvey Dent in the DA's office is investigating Dick Lovecraft." Jim said carefully, hoping not to set off his ill-tempered partner. "He thinks that Lovecraft is connected to the Wayne killings. So, he leaked that we had a witness. He thought he could spook Lovecraft. Get him to reveal himself."
"Wow that's a hell of a plan, how did it work out? Bravo!" Harvey spat. As much as he couldn't stand the kid, Selina had wormed her way into his heart just like her mother had.
"We thought she was safe. She thought no one knew her or Alyssa were here!" he said, throwing a look her way, as if she had been the on who told.
"Boy scout, you keep acussin' me of things the only thing I'll be guilty of is giving you a broken jaw."
"Why didn't you tell me about this foolishness?" Harvey said, still angry, but knowing Alyssa's own temper was running high. And he wasn't sure he'd stop her from breaking Jim's jaw.
"Because you would've tried to stop me."
"Of course I would've tried to stop you, you putz! What the hell are you thinking, the Wayne case is closed! It is closed!"
"You know damn well its not!"
"Don't tell me what I know!"
"Will you shut up, the pair a ya!" Alfred finally snapped. "You can argue later! Right now...we need to find, master Bruce."
Alyssa scoffed. "Nice to know everyone's priorities; I'll be going now."
Jim caught her arm as she tried to walk away. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"To find the kids. I'll make sure they're safe and drive Bruce back myself."
"You know where they are?" he frowned.
"Duh. I invented the street kid's safe haven, where else would Selina go when she's in trouble?"
Jim sighed. "Alright, but the killers might figure that out too. We'll send over some squad cars and –" he was cut of by Alyssa grabbing his collar.
"You're not gonna do a damn thing." she said lowly. "This is my daughter, boy scout. Do not mess with me on this." she threw him slightly so that he stumbled when she let go of him. After that, she left the room and the manor.
Harvey frowned and felt his pockets. "Where are my keys?"
Selina was getting Bruce some new clothes when Harvey's beloved classic pulled up to the old building. Alyssa came to the entrance, put two fingers in her mouth and whistled shrilly, drawing the attention of the entire room.
"Selina! Bruce!"
"Alyssa! Over here!"
Alyssa ran forward and hugged the younger girl. "You've got to stop scaring me like that kitten..."
"I'm sorry." Selina pulled back and saw the bandage around her leg. "Your leg!" she exclaimed, worried.
"Just a scratch, I'm fine." Alyssa waved her off. "What about you two?" she looked over Bruce and Selina.
"We're alright." Bruce nodded. "Is Alfred okay?"
"He's mean when he's worried about you, but physically yeah." Alyssa assured."I told him I'd give you a ride back."
"Hey Alyssa." a small voice made them turn.
"Ivy." Alyssa went to hug the red haired girl. "What are you doing here? What have you been up to, I thought-"
"Yeah, juvy caught me." Ivy shrugged. "I got adopted upstate."
"Didn't take?"
"Good people. They wanted me to cut my hair, dress nice. Not really me, ya know?"
"I know." Alyssa said sympathetically, rubbing the girl's shoulder
The safe haven she had built wasn't just for street kids, it was for anyone who needed a safe place, and with her abusive father Ivy Pepper had stopped by more than once. Alyssa had tried to get her to stay, but she always insisted on returning to her mother – though that had stopped after Ms. Pepper's death.
"I know you." Bruce said. "You're Mario Pepper's daughter."
"Yes. Who are you?"
Selina shook her head in warning, but Bruce spoke anyway. "I'm Bruce Wayne."
"...Yes you are. Billionaire, Bruce Wayne." Ivy said somewhat sarcastically.
"Stay cool now Ivy." Selina said.
"I am cool! Why are you telling me that? Why are you telling me what to do?" Ivy's voice took on an edge.
"I'm not, I'm just saying, I don't want you to get mad at him. He's a friend."
"Why would I get mad at him, its not his fault is it?" she turned to Bruce. "Did you kill my father? Did you make my mother cut her wrists?"
"No." Bruce shook his head, looking shocked.
"Somebody did." Ivy said to Selina. "Somebody did, but not him." her gaze turned back to Bruce. "How ya doin' ya doin' okay?"
"I'm okay...And you?"
"I'm doin' great. How do I look?"
"...Y-you look good."
Alyssa sighed. "Its good to see you Ivy, but we've got to get going. I've got to get Bruce home."
"Oh. Alright, fine."
"There's still a place for you at the hotel if you want it."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Alfred had apologized to Alyssa when she brought Bruce home, but Alyssa had waved him off. It was fair that he had been more concerned for Bruce than Selina, it had been the same for her in reverse.
She was not as nice however when Jim called and said the Mayor wanted to meet with him and Harvey Dent at the GCPD. And that as Selina's guardian, he wanted her there too.
"Lovecraft was a beloved pillar of this community. A dedicated servant of Gotham." Mayor James was saying to the three of them. They were sitting down while he circled the desk in front of them, as if that made him more threatening. "So what do I tell the media, huh? Hm? Any ideas?"
"He was crook?" Jim offered. "We nearly had him? And he was killed by whoever he would have implicated, if he had lived to testify. Say that."
"Forgive me if I can't get behind your approach. It was your gun." James said with a slight glare.
"I didn't kill 'im." Jim said, sounding rather insulted.
"On balance, I believe you, on balance...But suicide is much cleaner –"
"It wasn't suicide, it was murder!"
"It was suicide!" James growled. "He went mad under your relentless questioning, overpowered you, and killed himself with your gun. And don't tell me otherwise!"
"So that's it then, all wrapped up in a pretty little bow?" Alyssa said sarcastically.
"Don't test me Connors! It was your kid they were goin' after!"
"And its her attempted murder you're covering up!" she snapped.
"Ms. Connors you've been testing my patience since you made your name! You're hacking away at the very foundations of this city!"
"Yeah, and there ain't nothin' you can do about it!"
"...You're right." James admitted begrudgingly. He turned back to Jim and Harvey. "But these two are under my say. Should have the both of ya stuffed in a sack and thrown down the river! ...But I can't do that either. Two scape goats would look like panic. But mark my words, one a yas goin' down."
"Sir, that's not right." Harvey said.
"Hush. Its not you, Dent. Obviously, its Mr. Gordon."
"Sir, I protest!" Harvey sat up.
"But not too much. Ya see, councilor Dent knows how to walk the line. He knows where the edge is. And you Mr. Gordon, do not know where the edge is."
Jim stood and face him. "Mayor James...kiss my ass."
"You never told the mayor you were working with me, did you?" Alyssa asked Harvey Dent as they left the captain's office.
"Uh, no, he'd fire me in a second." Harvey shook his head. "But, I do bend the rules for friends."
"And the fact that we are friends is the only reason I'm not yelling at you for being the reason professional killers went after Selina."
He looked down. "Yeah...I-I'm very sorry Alyssa."
"Its alright. We got off this time. Just do me a favor, the next time you have an idea don't oversell it, okay?"
Harvey chuckled. "Yes mam. Would you like to get a drink?"
Alyssa was about to except when she saw Edward across the precinct. "Not tonight. There's still something I have to take care of here."
Alyssa knocked on the door to the forensics room. She really didn't want to do this, but the voice in her head – that sounded too much like Selina – told her she had too.
"Poindexter, I know you're in there!" she called. "Open the door!"
It opened to show Edward with his apron and rubber gloves on. "You haven't called me 'poindexter' since we were twelve years old."
"Well, I'm bringin' it back." she pushed past him into the room. Huffing, she turned to face him. "Look I...I guess I should apologize. I'm not really sure why though; you were the one yelling at me."
"You were the one who kissed me." he countered.
"I wanted you to shut up."
He shook his head. "Okay, clearly you and I have some things we've been avoiding, feelings we need to get into the air." he said in his 'logic' voice that Alyssa had never really liked.
She shrugged. "Right now I'm feelin' a little angry."
"Okay. Well, I feel that given our close proximity, and the fact that I've never actually seen you have interest in other men, it only makes sense that you would fool yourself into thinking you have feelings for me."
"Okay, now its a lot angry." she glared at him. "You're saying you think my feelings for you aren't real?"
"Yes."
Smack!
Edward's hand went to the stinging in his cheek, shocked. He didn't even notice the slap had sent his glasses askew.
"You don't get to say that." she told him. "You don't feel the same way about me, fine, but you do notget to invalidate how I feel." she sighed. "...You know as far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be you."
"...What?"
"When I met you, I couldn't stand you, you know? You were this bossy little know-it-all who didn't have a care in the world. You had everything. Good home, teacher's pet, loving family – I wanted that! 'How was your day sweetheart?' 'It was great mom', you had that! And all you did was complain, about bullies, about not having friends, I hated that! Because you went to bed every night with a full stomach and a kiss goodnight, while I went to bed wondering if I was gonna wake up the next morning because there's only so much I could fix with band-aids and tissues, I wanted that!"
Edward swallowed. "...I wanted what you had. Popularity, the confidence to control an entire room, you taught me how to have fun, you were a walking adventure! You called the principal by his first name, you held lunch auctions, you snuck out of detention through the air vents!"
"Yeah and I did it because one of the bigger kids dared me to! And it landed my ass in trouble, again!" Alyssa exclaimed. "Me getting into trouble is what screwed up my life, but I did it so people would actually care what I did!" she scoffed. "But I met you, and suddenly I didn't need trouble for someone to care about me. And then there was dear sweet Mary-Alice Thomas, getting you all doey-eyed without even trying!" she spat. "I had no idea why I hated her so much, I just knew you were too good for her. But she changed you, suddenly she was the only thing you cared about, and lo' and behold the old me was back." she shook her head. "But the feelings never stopped, even after I left, even after I turned my life into something better – I went half-way across the country trying to forget about you and it didn't work!"
Edward stood there silently, for once, speechless.
Alyssa sighed, clenching and unclenching her fists in an attempt to control her anger. "You're the smartest person I know, poindexter. But the obvious always seemed to allude you." she shook her head. "You want me out of your life like you said? I'll go." she turned on her heel and walked out.